Transfagarasan Road and the Medieval City of Sibiu - shared - 2 days

Anxious to visit the old city of Sibiu, ranked as “Europe’s 8th most idyllic place to live” by Forbes Magazine? Just imagine you could cross the Carpathian mountains to Transylvania ("the country beyond the forest") on one of the most spectacular high altitude road in the world!

You will start your journey with a stop at Curtea de Arges Monastery – an important pilgrimage center from the Southern part of Romania, located at the foot of the Fagaras Mountains. During the visit, you will also find out what an amazing legend is associated with the building of this monastery. The visit will be followed by a stop for lunch at a Romanian restaurant, for the first encounter with our traditional food.

After lunch you will make the first step on Transfagarasan Road and enjoy a short stop at Vidraru Dam, an impressive creation of engineering, being the first arch valley dam in Romania, built in the communist period. Nowadays, it is the favorite place for people passionate about extreme sports.

Driving along Vidraru River, you will leave behind the region of Wallachia and head to the region of Transylvania. On our way to the next stop - Balea Glacier Lake, you will be followed by gorgeous landscapes and amazing mountain scenery, and you will cross the longest tunnel in Romania. Surrounded by the stunning mountain peaks of Fagaras Mountains, Balea Lake will be the perfect place for some beautiful photos.

Continuing the journey through the Northern part of Transfagarasan Road, the tour guide will tell you more about its construction and how did Transfagarasan Road get to be considered the most beautiful high altitude road in the world, by the British “Top Gear”, in 2013.

By the end of the first day, you will reach the city of Sibiu - one of the seven German medieval citadels in Transylvania.
Day 2: Sibiu – Cozia Monastery - Bucharest (around 280 km)

After breakfast, the tour guide will lead you during a short walking tour in the old city center of Sibiu, where you will see the Large Square, the Small Square, Huet Square, the Council Tower, Brukenthal Palace, the Liars Bridge, the Stairs Passage, the Evangelical Cathedral, and you will hear more exciting stories about the town that in 2007 was declared the "European Capital of Culture".

On our way back to Bucharest we will also make a stop at Cozia Monastery, a valuable monument of Romania’s architecture and culture, erected between 1386-1388, by the ruler Mircea the Elder.

Highlights

Transfagarasan is one of the most spectacular high altitude road in the world, it is 152 km long and it crosses the Carpathian Mountains from Wallachia (south) to Transylvania (north).

Curtea de Arges Monastery, built in the 16th century, is the most famous Orthodox architectural monument in Wallachia (South Romania) and the necropolis of Romanian Royal Family.

Vidraru Dam on Vidraru Lake is a colossal construction finished in 1966 and the first arch-gravity dam built in Romania.

Sibiu is one of the most beautiful cities in Romania offering a rare combination of a medieval atmosphere (in the historical center) with incredible natural landscapes (surroundings) and delicious local food.

Cozia Monastery (14th century) has an idyllic location on the Olt river bank and it is one of the most beautiful monastic settlements in south-eastern Europe.